Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Grand Central Pub., 2009.
Description
The hilarious and heartwarming, respectful and thought-provoking memoir of a college student's semester at Liberty University, the "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, that will inspire believers and nonbelievers alike. No drinking. No smoking. No cursing. No dancing. No R-rated movies. Kevin Roose wasn't used to rules like these. As a sophomore at Brown University, he spent his days fitting right in with Brown's free-spirited, ultra-liberal student body. But when Roose leaves his Ivy League confines to spend a semester at Liberty University, a conservative Baptist school in Lynchburg, Virginia, obedience is no longer optional. Liberty is the late Reverend Jerry Falwell's "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, his training ground for the next generation of America's Religious Right. Liberty's ten thousand undergraduates take courses like Evangelism 101 and follow a forty-six-page code of conduct that regulates every aspect of their social lives. Hoping to connect with his evangelical peers, Roose decides to enroll at Liberty as a new transfer student, chronicling his adventures in this daring report from the front lines of America's culture war. His journey takes him from an evangelical hip-hop concert to a spring break mission trip to Daytona Beach (where he learns to preach the gospel to partying coeds). He meets pastors' kids, closet doubters, Christian rebels, and conducts what would be the last print interview of Rev. Falwell's life.… (more)
Media reviews
Christian Higher Education
This book not only helps to better understand our nation’s next generation of evangelicals, it helps us to better understand— and enjoy— ourselves.
I found this book to be all kinds of things: enjoyable though annoying, frustrating as well as refreshing, informative yet leaving me with questions. What I personally liked most about the book is the author’s search for spiritual truth.
Christian Century
His account of the experience is nuanced, respectful and personal.
Roose’s “amateur ethnography” is most useful not for its quick glosses of political and doctrinal issues, but for its vivid, sunny and skeptical portrait of life among the saved.
Nevertheless, when Roose’s off-campus friends and family send him messages that betray their fear and loathing for the people sharing his education, it’s clear that Liberty doesn’t have a monopoly on intolerance. The Unlikely Disciple serves as a refreshing cease-fire in the wearying culture
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wars, likely holding surprises for anyone—theist, atheist, or somewhere in between—who gives it a chance. Show Less
I found this story interesting; it was as if I, as a Reform Jew, were to be transplanted into a Lubovitch sect on campus. My observations would have been:it's not for me, but Mazel Tov if you believe that it's for you.
While Christian fundamentalists in America are often mocked – think “Saved” or “Religulous” – a burgeoning evangelical movement makes understanding students from schools like Liberty crucial. If a kid from Brown can begin to bridge the divide in just one semester, then there’s hope
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for the rest of us struggling to better understand people we know only by the labels like “fundamentalist” or “Religious Right.” Show Less
A sometimes startling view of contemporary evangelicalism through an outsider's eyes is reason enough to read this book. But there's also Roose's humor, often at his own expense, to keep readers turning the pages.
Psychology Today
Roose's open-mindedness about believers makes room for common ground, building a sorely needed footbridge across the God Divide.
Library Journal
Humorous anecdotes are interspersed with thoughtful analysis.
Booklist
His stint at Liberty hardly changed the world but did alter his way at looking at it. That’s a start.
Kirkus Reviews
Problematic but engaging participant observation.
Publishers Weekly
"Complicated" is how Roose describes Falwell, which is a good descriptor for his undercover student experience.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Aerrin99
I opened this book out of simple curiosity. What /did/ a liberal college student from Brown think when confronted full-on with some of the most fundamentally conservative and literal evangelists around? I was desperate to know whether this book would be judgmental or soft-hearted, whether he would
The happy truth is that it's a little bit of both. Kevin Roose writes with amazing maturity and insight (particularly given that he was 19 when he began this book), and his account of his semester at Liberty University is filled with both heart and nuance. He doesn't shy away from having his assumptions shattered, and he doesn't hesitate to see a very different world with eyes that are fairly close to understanding.
But he also doesn't pull back from delivering the hard truths - where the great divides are, where the unmoveable differences seem to be between his position and that of evangelical Christians.
At the same time, his change throughout the book is clear and moving - he presents the students and faculty at Liberty as complex, diverse, and largely caring people, and he finds some unexpected benefits to their joy in their faith and what it brings them. The good of this book is that it gives you both the good and the bad, and it's not afraid to give you a messy reality.
Roose's thoughtfulness does him credit when it comes to internal evaluation, too. He spends a lot of time wondering about what faith makes those around him, and what faith, or lack of it, makes /him/. His introspection is open, honest, fascinating, and will ring true for many who've brushed along the edges of Christianity, or even dove full-in.
This book is an excellent read for anyone wanting to understand the true passion that drives so many evangelicals to actions that may seem incomprehensible to the outside world (a chapter on a mission trip to Daytona Beach stands out) - but it's also an excellent read for anyone who /is/ a born-again Christian who wants to understand what baffles the outside world about the faith, both good and bad, and what parts drive some of the world away for good.
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I picked it up out of curiousity. It's 10 hours later and I'm putting it down and writing a review. So here's to happy surprises.
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be won over or disgusted. The happy truth is that it's a little bit of both. Kevin Roose writes with amazing maturity and insight (particularly given that he was 19 when he began this book), and his account of his semester at Liberty University is filled with both heart and nuance. He doesn't shy away from having his assumptions shattered, and he doesn't hesitate to see a very different world with eyes that are fairly close to understanding.
But he also doesn't pull back from delivering the hard truths - where the great divides are, where the unmoveable differences seem to be between his position and that of evangelical Christians.
At the same time, his change throughout the book is clear and moving - he presents the students and faculty at Liberty as complex, diverse, and largely caring people, and he finds some unexpected benefits to their joy in their faith and what it brings them. The good of this book is that it gives you both the good and the bad, and it's not afraid to give you a messy reality.
Roose's thoughtfulness does him credit when it comes to internal evaluation, too. He spends a lot of time wondering about what faith makes those around him, and what faith, or lack of it, makes /him/. His introspection is open, honest, fascinating, and will ring true for many who've brushed along the edges of Christianity, or even dove full-in.
This book is an excellent read for anyone wanting to understand the true passion that drives so many evangelicals to actions that may seem incomprehensible to the outside world (a chapter on a mission trip to Daytona Beach stands out) - but it's also an excellent read for anyone who /is/ a born-again Christian who wants to understand what baffles the outside world about the faith, both good and bad, and what parts drive some of the world away for good.
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I picked it up out of curiousity. It's 10 hours later and I'm putting it down and writing a review. So here's to happy surprises.
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LibraryThing member ebnelson
Think Blue Like Jazz if Don Miller wasn’t a Christian. Roose has so much heart. He’s gracious and vulnerable, which makes him so enduring. But his transparency is coupled with wisdom beyond his years (or a phenomenal editor). This book is great reading for anyone with a connection with
As someone who has attended a fundamentalist church for the past five years (think Liberty University) as well as liberal churches with gay pastors (think Brown University), I am in awe of Roose's even-handedness. Although I don't agree with him on every point, he made a phenomenal effort of good will and open mindedness and should be commended.
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fundamentalist Christians. It’s also great for “Bible believing Christians” to read to help them empathize with the target of their evangelism. Roose’s story is a great testimony to the blessings that can arise when we get beyond labels and make an honest effort to treat people with real respect and open arms.As someone who has attended a fundamentalist church for the past five years (think Liberty University) as well as liberal churches with gay pastors (think Brown University), I am in awe of Roose's even-handedness. Although I don't agree with him on every point, he made a phenomenal effort of good will and open mindedness and should be commended.
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LibraryThing member MsCellophane
Before I go on about anything else, I have to say: this is surprisingly well-written and well-paced for an author who started writing it at nineteen. Goodness gracious.
The Unlikely Disciple reminded me a lot of A. J. Jacobs's book, The Year of Living Biblically (since Kevin Roose worked for a time
What most strongly tied the two books together for me, thematically, was that both authors struggled with long-term repercussions from this type of faith immersion. From the beginning, Kevin Roose intends to observe LU students interacting in their natural habitat, with the distance of an anthropologist-journalist-crunchy-hippie-liberal. However, he doesn't anticipate the close and meaningful friendships he'll develop with his fellow students. And after a while, the constant refrain of "Wow, evangelicals are people, too!" grates on the nerves of those who haven't excluded Christians from their social circles as a matter of fact.
He does make note of what I thought was a huge, but unavoidable, weakness: he was able to acclimate well and quickly as a straight, white, heterosexual male student. This book would have been quite different if the task had been taken up by someone gay, black, or female. Ultimately, what you get is a comparatively rosy and incomplete picture of Liberty's student life.
It's a shame this book had to be written at all. He starts out on this project without having known people from the opposite side of the political spectrum, and, while I already picked on him a bit for that, it's the way the U.S. seems to function. I'm a bisexual atheist from rural Texas, and if I had not come from rural Texas (where you can't throw a stone without hitting a Republican), I don't know if I would understand Christians, or ever chosen to associate with any. It's so easy to snugly wrap ourselves in the enclave of likemindedness. It's so, so easy. But what you end up with is more division, more fear, more misunderstanding. I came out of the book admiring the author's willingness to step out of his comfort zone. By the end, I was reassured that maybe the tolerance and compassion we want rests with everyone else's ability to step out in a like manner.
The Unlikely Disciple reminded me a lot of A. J. Jacobs's book, The Year of Living Biblically (since Kevin Roose worked for a time
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as Jacobs's assistant while that book was being written, this isn't surprising). Both stories focus on the author's immersion into unfamiliar religious territory; in this case, Roose enrolls for a semester at Jerry Falwell's uber-conservative Liberty University, while posing as an evangelical Christian.What most strongly tied the two books together for me, thematically, was that both authors struggled with long-term repercussions from this type of faith immersion. From the beginning, Kevin Roose intends to observe LU students interacting in their natural habitat, with the distance of an anthropologist-journalist-crunchy-hippie-liberal. However, he doesn't anticipate the close and meaningful friendships he'll develop with his fellow students. And after a while, the constant refrain of "Wow, evangelicals are people, too!" grates on the nerves of those who haven't excluded Christians from their social circles as a matter of fact.
He does make note of what I thought was a huge, but unavoidable, weakness: he was able to acclimate well and quickly as a straight, white, heterosexual male student. This book would have been quite different if the task had been taken up by someone gay, black, or female. Ultimately, what you get is a comparatively rosy and incomplete picture of Liberty's student life.
It's a shame this book had to be written at all. He starts out on this project without having known people from the opposite side of the political spectrum, and, while I already picked on him a bit for that, it's the way the U.S. seems to function. I'm a bisexual atheist from rural Texas, and if I had not come from rural Texas (where you can't throw a stone without hitting a Republican), I don't know if I would understand Christians, or ever chosen to associate with any. It's so easy to snugly wrap ourselves in the enclave of likemindedness. It's so, so easy. But what you end up with is more division, more fear, more misunderstanding. I came out of the book admiring the author's willingness to step out of his comfort zone. By the end, I was reassured that maybe the tolerance and compassion we want rests with everyone else's ability to step out in a like manner.
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LibraryThing member EverydayMiracles
The Unlikely Disciple is the story of Kevin Roose, a student at Brown University who decides to take a semester at "Bible Boot Camp" in order to explore more deeply the "God Divide." Coming from a liberal secular background, Roose isn't sure what he's going to find at Liberty University, and he
Kevin Roose was the last person to give a print interview to Rev. Jerry Falwell before his death in 2007, and he never revealed to the University president that he was not, himself, an evangelical Christian.
The Unlikely Disciple amazed me. When I first picked this book up, I was expecting a difficult-to-read book that was more analysis than it was experience. Understanding and having accepted Kevin Roose's journalistic background, I imagined that the book would be at best dry and at worst downright boring. I picked it up initially because I was interested in understanding my own past as a somewhat secular pagan in comparison to myself today, as a deeply spiritual Christian. More than anything, I was looking to find some kind of personal affirmation in Roose's book: I wanted someone to, in essence, tell me that it was okay for me to have been a Christian-basher for sixteen years of my life. I wanted to not be alone any longer.
My expectations for this book couldn't have been much further from the mark. Not only is Kevin Roose's style of writing far from journalistic, but he is entertaining and witty. In fact, The Unlikely Disciple drew me in from the first few paragraphs and kept me reading in a manner that I find is unusual with works of non-fiction. I couldn't put this book down!
The Unlikely Disciple was, for me, a chance to relax with the kind of book that can easily be devoured in the span of a few days rather than being slowly picked at bit by bit. The style of the book is very easy to read and it flows well. Although the format is something like a journal (which gives you the opportunity to really see into Roose's thoughts during his semester at Liberty University), the story is written with a great deal of skill.
I was impressed with this book. I learned a lot from it, about myself, the secular liberal I used to be, and the kind of conservative (spiritual) Christian that I want to be. This is an excellent opportunity for us to learn from one another, secular or Christian.
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doesn't get quite what he expected in the beginning, either.Kevin Roose was the last person to give a print interview to Rev. Jerry Falwell before his death in 2007, and he never revealed to the University president that he was not, himself, an evangelical Christian.
The Unlikely Disciple amazed me. When I first picked this book up, I was expecting a difficult-to-read book that was more analysis than it was experience. Understanding and having accepted Kevin Roose's journalistic background, I imagined that the book would be at best dry and at worst downright boring. I picked it up initially because I was interested in understanding my own past as a somewhat secular pagan in comparison to myself today, as a deeply spiritual Christian. More than anything, I was looking to find some kind of personal affirmation in Roose's book: I wanted someone to, in essence, tell me that it was okay for me to have been a Christian-basher for sixteen years of my life. I wanted to not be alone any longer.
My expectations for this book couldn't have been much further from the mark. Not only is Kevin Roose's style of writing far from journalistic, but he is entertaining and witty. In fact, The Unlikely Disciple drew me in from the first few paragraphs and kept me reading in a manner that I find is unusual with works of non-fiction. I couldn't put this book down!
The Unlikely Disciple was, for me, a chance to relax with the kind of book that can easily be devoured in the span of a few days rather than being slowly picked at bit by bit. The style of the book is very easy to read and it flows well. Although the format is something like a journal (which gives you the opportunity to really see into Roose's thoughts during his semester at Liberty University), the story is written with a great deal of skill.
I was impressed with this book. I learned a lot from it, about myself, the secular liberal I used to be, and the kind of conservative (spiritual) Christian that I want to be. This is an excellent opportunity for us to learn from one another, secular or Christian.
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LibraryThing member iubookgirl
I was distracted from my reading of Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel by a piece on NPR. Two weeks ago, I heard an interview with Kevin Roose about his book, An Unlikely Disciple. The story sounded familiar so I went back to my stacks of ARCs and found that I had picked this up at ALA Midwinter in
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January. I am very impressed with Kevin Roose, who spent a semester at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in 2007. At the time, Roose was only 19 years old. An Unlikely Disciple is extremely well written for someone of Mr. Roose's age. I'm sure some will fault him for his generous evaluation of Liberty and its evangelical Christian community. I agree that he is rather lenient, yet I am happy that he managed to maintain a sense of objectivity throughout his experience. Most outside views of evangelical Christianity are not and, in fact, tend to dismiss or even attack the values of this group. While I don't agree with evangelical views, I appreciated Roose's attempt to truly understand the people he met at Liberty and his emphasis on the fact that not evangelicals are cut from the same mold. No political or religious sect is entirely of one mind. I would heartily recommend An Unlikely Disciple to anyone curious about the evangelical Christian movement. Perhaps it is age bias on my part, but I am truly amazed by what this now twenty-one year old achieved in An Unlikely Disciple. I look forward to the future work of Kevin Roose as one can only assume his writing and retrospection will improve with age. Show Less
LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
A really good look at a cross cultural experience. Kevin Roose is a Brown student from a non religious, liberal family with an outspoken gay aunt. After visiting Lynchburg VA and meeting students from Liberty University, he realizes their conversations were from extremely different/foreign
This isn't a boring anthropological study, or a slanderous piece on how whack fundamentalists are. This is an honest experience that tells more about Kevin Roose and the people he encounters.
I left the book deep in thought thinking that too often "activists" in today's world shape the conversation and interaction of people from different cultures. Kevin's experience shows that people may not agree, but they can also find the the joys and heartaches in each other that crosses cultures.
Worth a good read.
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cultures. He then decides to go undercover for a semester as a conservative Christian transfer to write a book about the experience.This isn't a boring anthropological study, or a slanderous piece on how whack fundamentalists are. This is an honest experience that tells more about Kevin Roose and the people he encounters.
I left the book deep in thought thinking that too often "activists" in today's world shape the conversation and interaction of people from different cultures. Kevin's experience shows that people may not agree, but they can also find the the joys and heartaches in each other that crosses cultures.
Worth a good read.
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LibraryThing member kaythetall
Recommended. An easy read, it can be finished in a single sitting over a couple of hours. Roose's style is simple and breezy, and has a good knack of giving broad personality sketches.
It's the book of a young man, to be sure. Roose is 19 when he begins the book, and despite a long number of quoted
To be fair, that is part of the charm. Roose is a bit fuzzy exactly where he personally lies on the whole 'God' thing, but the fact is that 'fuzzy' is as far as he's been able to work out in terms of his personal belief structure. He takes us along with him as he is confronted not by hate, but by absolute certainty. Something he finds far more unsettling and challenging.
Roose is very careful to praise the friends he made at Liberty College, and it gets a bit repetitive. He does touch briefly on the history of the college, but more information on where the graduates end up statistically in the workplace or geographically would have been very interesting. Finally, it would have been nice to hear a bit more about what Roose wanted to take away from his experience there, not simply relief at no longer having to deceive those around him.
It's the book of a young man, to be sure. Roose is 19 when he begins the book, and despite a long number of quoted
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books on sociology through the book, Roose is still intellectually and philosophically developing.To be fair, that is part of the charm. Roose is a bit fuzzy exactly where he personally lies on the whole 'God' thing, but the fact is that 'fuzzy' is as far as he's been able to work out in terms of his personal belief structure. He takes us along with him as he is confronted not by hate, but by absolute certainty. Something he finds far more unsettling and challenging.
Roose is very careful to praise the friends he made at Liberty College, and it gets a bit repetitive. He does touch briefly on the history of the college, but more information on where the graduates end up statistically in the workplace or geographically would have been very interesting. Finally, it would have been nice to hear a bit more about what Roose wanted to take away from his experience there, not simply relief at no longer having to deceive those around him.
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LibraryThing member bnbooklady
This book chronicles Roose’s semester at Liberty, and despite the fact that his interaction with his research subjects makes him incapable of being totally objective, he presents a relatively balanced picture of the students and their lives. Sure, some of his new peers are violently homophobic
Liberty’s students turn out to be not as universally pure and wholesome as Roose thought they would be, and his exploration of what lies beneath their clean, shiny surfaces gives the book real depth and human interest. This is a funny, insightful example of immersion journalism at its best that will be interesting and accesible to readers religious and unbelieving alike.
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and anti-feminist, and sure, some of them are way too nosy or pushy or judgmental. But they all have such damn good intentions. (Except, maybe, for the ones who want him to give up masturbation. That’s asking a lot, don’tcha think?)Liberty’s students turn out to be not as universally pure and wholesome as Roose thought they would be, and his exploration of what lies beneath their clean, shiny surfaces gives the book real depth and human interest. This is a funny, insightful example of immersion journalism at its best that will be interesting and accesible to readers religious and unbelieving alike.
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LibraryThing member selkie_girl
Kevin Roose does something so unlikely that it floors his Brown classmates. He is going to go down to Lynchburg, Virginia to the Liberty University founded by the late Dr. Jerry Falwell to spend a semester there then to write a book about it.
I heard about this book and being a Liberty University
I heard about this book and being a Liberty University
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alumni and was not quite sure what I was getting myself into when I opened up The Unlikely Disciple. Kevin Roose did such a great job of capturing Liberty, the good and not so good. I laughed so hard when Roose is faced with a lot of little nuances that make up Liberty University. He did a wonderful job describing familiar professors and classes. I've recommended this book to a lot of friends from Liberty and those who have no idea what Liberty is about. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephmo
Kevin Roose starts out his book with a fairly solid idea - spend a semester at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia to find out what it really is like to attend a fundamentalist Bible College. His subtitle claiming it to be America's Holiest University may be a bit of hyperbole, as events in
The easy book to write today would have been one very critical of Falwell and one that would have mercilessly mocked the students at Liberty. After all, this seems to be the way to a larger audience today - make fun of the crazy religious nuts, claim they're going to be the end of us all and make fun some more. It's an odd argument and one that is about as effective as, say, claiming everyone that attends Brown is part of some massive east-coast liberal conspiracy.
Thankfully, Brown doesn't write the easy book. He goes in and simply writes what he experiences as a student at Liberty. Not as a student from Brown who chose to spend a semester at Liberty. And in it, he finds a diverse student body with a number of different reasons for attending Liberty. While he frets over the teaching of the strict 6,000-year-old earth creationism, he also finds that a good percentage of students won't leave Liberty sharing that same view. Not that all is well at Liberty and Roose delves into this as well.
All in all, this is an even-handed view of a dividing issue. And we could use more discussions like this. You know, less calling of names and more humanizing of the views. Less scary sound bites, more reasonable discussion, that kind of stuff.
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the book lead students to compare the Liberty Way rules to the rules of other biblical colleges where they learn that they're downright liberal compared to other institutions. At the same time, what Liberty allows in relative social freedoms, it makes up for in a strict curriculum that still follows the 6,000 year-old earth theory and the leadership of the controversial Jerry Falwell.The easy book to write today would have been one very critical of Falwell and one that would have mercilessly mocked the students at Liberty. After all, this seems to be the way to a larger audience today - make fun of the crazy religious nuts, claim they're going to be the end of us all and make fun some more. It's an odd argument and one that is about as effective as, say, claiming everyone that attends Brown is part of some massive east-coast liberal conspiracy.
Thankfully, Brown doesn't write the easy book. He goes in and simply writes what he experiences as a student at Liberty. Not as a student from Brown who chose to spend a semester at Liberty. And in it, he finds a diverse student body with a number of different reasons for attending Liberty. While he frets over the teaching of the strict 6,000-year-old earth creationism, he also finds that a good percentage of students won't leave Liberty sharing that same view. Not that all is well at Liberty and Roose delves into this as well.
All in all, this is an even-handed view of a dividing issue. And we could use more discussions like this. You know, less calling of names and more humanizing of the views. Less scary sound bites, more reasonable discussion, that kind of stuff.
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LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
What happens when a left wing Brown University student attends a semester at ultra-conservative right wing Liberty University, the founder of televangelist Jerry Falwell? The result is crises of different sorts. Overall, new author Kevin Roose successfully presents both the good and the bad of
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Liberty University and leaves the reader with a more compassionate view of evangelism. An thought-provoking book for his willingness to admit to being a 'work in progress' and his ability to enjoy/appreciate being part of things like prayer group. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cynara
Yes, it's another of my stunt books. Roose comes by the genre honestly, as he was assistant to A.J. Jacobs of The Year of Living Biblically and The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment fame.
I had my usual twists of scepticism over the premise (really? You decided to attend Jerry Fallwell's
The difficult or touchy part is, of course, that he did this undercover. Evangelicals do sometimes have a fort mentality (reinforced by mockery from outsiders) and Roose wanted to be inside, not just a politely treated guest. This put him in some morally dicey situations, which he does acknowledge.
I think this is most interesting for the character sketches of his hallmates in residence - they vary widely in background, personality, and faith. Roose likes them, and also can't reconcile himself to their generally anti-gay, anti-feminist, salvation-only-through-Christ outlook.
This was a quick, fascinating read. Now I'd love to read a book from the female students' side - as Roose says, that would be a totally different story.
I had my usual twists of scepticism over the premise (really? You decided to attend Jerry Fallwell's
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Liberty College because of a fascination with bridging the gap between evangelical Christians and secular culture, not because you're a young author who wanted something wacky to write about?), and the "will I ever be the same ?!?" crises, but they softened as I continued the book. Roose isn't just looking for a freakshow, and he makes a real effort to enter the community and make friends. He does experience some real changes to his outlook, and he's conflicted about it.The difficult or touchy part is, of course, that he did this undercover. Evangelicals do sometimes have a fort mentality (reinforced by mockery from outsiders) and Roose wanted to be inside, not just a politely treated guest. This put him in some morally dicey situations, which he does acknowledge.
I think this is most interesting for the character sketches of his hallmates in residence - they vary widely in background, personality, and faith. Roose likes them, and also can't reconcile himself to their generally anti-gay, anti-feminist, salvation-only-through-Christ outlook.
This was a quick, fascinating read. Now I'd love to read a book from the female students' side - as Roose says, that would be a totally different story.
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LibraryThing member 2chances
Ah, now. This is more like it. Kevin Roose, a sophomore at Brown University and the son of Quaker liberals, decides to spend a semester at the jewel in the crown of Jerry Falwell's empire: far-right, fundamentalist Liberty University. (In passing, have you EVER HEARD of such an ironic name for a
I admit it: I have a tiny little reader-crush on Kevin. Not only is he a talented writer (his characterizations of the Liberty students are so spot-on that the reader becomes totally enmeshed in the Liberty world), but he is also an astoundingly open-minded and mature observer of his brave new world.The Liberty University that Kevin portrays is no cartoon: it is complex, layered, nuanced. Moreover, I was genuinely impressed by Roose's sheer goodness and personal integrity: he struggles with the anti-gay rhetoric and lack of academic freedom he encounters, but avoids simplistic explanations that objectify or demonize Liberty students and professors. And he manages to build genuine relationships that are both respectful and mature. This guy is 19? Kudos.
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school? *loves it*) He makes a conscious decision to fit in by talking the talk AND walking the walk - he stops cussing, tries mighty hard to stop masturbating, prays daily, even joins the choir and takes creation "science".I admit it: I have a tiny little reader-crush on Kevin. Not only is he a talented writer (his characterizations of the Liberty students are so spot-on that the reader becomes totally enmeshed in the Liberty world), but he is also an astoundingly open-minded and mature observer of his brave new world.The Liberty University that Kevin portrays is no cartoon: it is complex, layered, nuanced. Moreover, I was genuinely impressed by Roose's sheer goodness and personal integrity: he struggles with the anti-gay rhetoric and lack of academic freedom he encounters, but avoids simplistic explanations that objectify or demonize Liberty students and professors. And he manages to build genuine relationships that are both respectful and mature. This guy is 19? Kudos.
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LibraryThing member Bibliotropic
When I first found out that A J Jacobs's "slave" was writing a book of his own, I was intrigued, and decided there and then that I had to get my hands on it. I'm happy to say that it was a fantastic book, a truly inspiration look at crossing the culture divide between religious and secular, showing
Kevin Roose was inspired to take a semester away from Brown and transfer to Liberty University, a strict Christian university known for, is essence, being run by Jerry Falwell. It was a daunting prospect. Having to pretend to fit in while still maintaining journalistic distance, running the risk of making friends who have no idea about a very large part of his personality, spending time in close quarters with people whose ideology he didn't exactly share. Immersion journalism is always tricky, especially in a time of such contention between the religious and secular worlds.
I was quite impressed with the way Roose handled everything - that is, with humour and an open mind. He didn't try to instantly condemn everything from Liberty just because of its associations, neither did he attempt to fake blind acceptance. He struggled, he took chances, and he came away from the experience a changed man, but its a chance that he eventually felt somewhat comfortable with going through. He took something away from Liberty that he didn't enter with, more than just the notes he took.
What he discovered, in essence, is that the people on both sides of the divide are remarkable similar in their good and bad points. Both sides have their misconceptions of the other, both sides have their jerks whom nobody likes, both sides have their sweet caring people who make your life better for having known them, and both sides have their secret dissidents and malcontents. It's a prime example of not judging a book by its cover, of basing your opinions on experience rather than knee-jerk assumptions and self-imposed blindness.
You can't help but close this book with a feeling of deep respect for what Kevin did. You can't help but feel somewhat changed, yourself, after following along with his journey. There are things to laugh at (Jersey Joey's constant ribbing), things to raise a wondering eyebrow at (Every Man's Battle meetings to help stop masturbation), and things to give serious thought to (the way the university deems education as a dangerous thing that can lead students away from God), things to make readers pause and wonder just what all the fuss is about, on both sides of the debate.
Ultimately, this was a well-done experiment and a fantastic memoir that comes highly recommended for anyone on either side of the fence. Give it a chance; I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
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how the line between left and right are not always as clear as many people want them to be.Kevin Roose was inspired to take a semester away from Brown and transfer to Liberty University, a strict Christian university known for, is essence, being run by Jerry Falwell. It was a daunting prospect. Having to pretend to fit in while still maintaining journalistic distance, running the risk of making friends who have no idea about a very large part of his personality, spending time in close quarters with people whose ideology he didn't exactly share. Immersion journalism is always tricky, especially in a time of such contention between the religious and secular worlds.
I was quite impressed with the way Roose handled everything - that is, with humour and an open mind. He didn't try to instantly condemn everything from Liberty just because of its associations, neither did he attempt to fake blind acceptance. He struggled, he took chances, and he came away from the experience a changed man, but its a chance that he eventually felt somewhat comfortable with going through. He took something away from Liberty that he didn't enter with, more than just the notes he took.
What he discovered, in essence, is that the people on both sides of the divide are remarkable similar in their good and bad points. Both sides have their misconceptions of the other, both sides have their jerks whom nobody likes, both sides have their sweet caring people who make your life better for having known them, and both sides have their secret dissidents and malcontents. It's a prime example of not judging a book by its cover, of basing your opinions on experience rather than knee-jerk assumptions and self-imposed blindness.
You can't help but close this book with a feeling of deep respect for what Kevin did. You can't help but feel somewhat changed, yourself, after following along with his journey. There are things to laugh at (Jersey Joey's constant ribbing), things to raise a wondering eyebrow at (Every Man's Battle meetings to help stop masturbation), and things to give serious thought to (the way the university deems education as a dangerous thing that can lead students away from God), things to make readers pause and wonder just what all the fuss is about, on both sides of the debate.
Ultimately, this was a well-done experiment and a fantastic memoir that comes highly recommended for anyone on either side of the fence. Give it a chance; I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member Andromeda_Yelton
Kevin Roose's chronicle of his semester "abroad" and undercover at Liberty University could have easily devolved into a shallow and facile "let's all mock the fundies" travelogue, and thank goodness it didn't. What makes this book (besides his engaging writing style) is his genuine open-mindedness
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-- understanding that his inability to talk to fellow Americans across a cultural divide, and his lack of knowledge of a vast and important (but often insular) subculture, reflect a failure in *himself*, not in others. His portrait of life at Liberty didn't particularly surprise me, but did (I think) help me understand more of some people's lives; mostly, though, I read it for the writing, and for his own journey of self-discovery. Would that more people approached life with Roose's level of genuine interest in others. Show Less
LibraryThing member lsikes
I was skeptical of this book at first. However, I found it to be engaging, well written and couldn't put it down. Being a part of the evangelical community, I found this book very interesting. Kevin Roose has a bright future ahead of him. Ready for his next book to come out!
LibraryThing member coolmama
Kevin Roose, secular Quaker, Brown student, all around liberal -- decides to spend a semester "abroad" at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
He goes "undercover" ---not telling his friends, classmates, and professors that he is not, like everyone else there, an evangelical
What a wonderful book! Brilliant! Hair-raising, as well, to hear what it is like to be on the inside of a university that only has a library to get accrediation from the State, that does not allow student to read whole passages of writers (they quote only sentences to make their point), that teaches creationism,etc. I could go on and on and on.
He goes "undercover" ---not telling his friends, classmates, and professors that he is not, like everyone else there, an evangelical
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Christian in training.What a wonderful book! Brilliant! Hair-raising, as well, to hear what it is like to be on the inside of a university that only has a library to get accrediation from the State, that does not allow student to read whole passages of writers (they quote only sentences to make their point), that teaches creationism,etc. I could go on and on and on.
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LibraryThing member ellenr
Krevin Roose has successfully written a pretty much unbiased look at education at a fundamental, evangelical Christian university. A Brown University sophomore, he decided to take his "term abroad" at Liberty University, the college Jerry Falwel founded. Coming from a liberal, Quaker family, it was
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indeed a change in culture for him. He has written a book that explores the depth of faith of the students, what their goals are, and how they view the world. He writes of forming deep friendships, challenging courses, caring mentors, and beginning to change some of his own spiritual habits. He didn't leave "converted" but changed. He found serious disagreements with which he would not compromise. He criticizes the almost rote system of learning students are subjected to, where they aren't allowed to think for themselves in classes. The book is written with understanding and knowledge exceptional in a writer so young. The writing is respectful of its subjects, yet critical where it needs to be. Roose's style is clear, engaging, informative and wholly rational. An exceptional writer I look forward to hearing more from in the future. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChicGeekGirl21
Kevin Roose is an aspiring writer and a student at Brown when he decides to transfer to Liberty University--probably America's best and most well known evangelical university--for one semester, immerse himself in its culture, and write about the experience. Roose is no academic writer. Although he
Roose lived in the dorms of Liberty. He sang for the choir. He took 6 courses that a typical Liberty freshman would take. He made friends, went on dates, went to Bible study, and prayed with his friends. In short, Roose, a liberal and intelligent young man who was raised in the Quaker church, went to Liberty to get the most realistic, average Liberty experience possible. He kept an open mind, and even admitted that he might, in fact, be converted and born again by the end of the semester. In the end, Roose does not convert to evangelical Christianity--however, he is admittedly changed (for the better) by the experience.
I really enjoyed this book. In part because I have a morbid curiosity about extremely conservative Christians, but also because I do believe and agree with Roose's conclusions: that just as fundamentalists paint gay people, feminists, Democrats, etc with a broad brush, so do secular folks paint religious folks with a broad brush. In reality, there are many shades and types of Liberty students. Roose made friends with evangelical feminists, he attended a meeting for gay students at Liberty (trying to go straight) and male students struggling with lust (he dubs this group Masturbators Anonymous). He also prays on a regular basis with a stereotypical, blindingly optimistic future youth pastor and deals with his incredibly hostile and homophobic roommate. Roose takes a class called History of Life (a required class for all LU students) that teaches strict Young Earth Creationism--a class he can never quite get his head around. But he also takes a class on theology, which he grows to love. And for every goody-goody rule following student he meets, he is bound to interact with a "rebel" student--someone who isn't a virgin, or who curses, or watched R-rated movies. Basically, there is no typical LU student just as there is no typical Brown student.
The most fascinating aspect of Roose's experience is how is changes him. He transforms from a non-church going atheist/agnostic to someone who believes "70-75% of the time" in a higher power. He goes from never praying to automatically praying as part of his daily routine. He comes to enjoy going to church! Roose is not a hardcore believer by the end of the book, per se (he still finds Liberty's party line on homosexuality, evolution, etc and its insistence on two black and white categories of people: saved and unsaved, to be abhorrent), but he is much more open minded about the possibility that there is a God out there and that belief in Him can change a person's life in a very positive way.
I liked this book because I understand Roose's thought process. Like the bumper sticker that says "Jesus, save me from your followers", I am a self-identified Christian who is easily annoyed by other (fundamentalist, evangelical) Christians. I see and understand the shades of gray that Roose found in his time at Liberty and I can see how and why he came to see the good that comes out of religion, as well as the bad. I'm glad that Roose wrote this book and I'm glad he wrote it in a way that showed Liberty's good side as well as its darker corners. Roose claims at the end of the book that he did not "bridge the God divide", and indeed, that bridge may never be built. But I think he went further than many non-evangelicals would dare to go in his attempts to understand and humanize Liberty students.
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references theologians and anthropologists in his book, he does not use the confusing jargon and high-minded academic theories prevalent in many other ethnographies about Christian fundamentalist culture. Instead, his writing is intimate and honest--and if we are to believe what he writes, it turns out that there is a lot more complexity at Liberty than most of us secular liberals would like to believe.Roose lived in the dorms of Liberty. He sang for the choir. He took 6 courses that a typical Liberty freshman would take. He made friends, went on dates, went to Bible study, and prayed with his friends. In short, Roose, a liberal and intelligent young man who was raised in the Quaker church, went to Liberty to get the most realistic, average Liberty experience possible. He kept an open mind, and even admitted that he might, in fact, be converted and born again by the end of the semester. In the end, Roose does not convert to evangelical Christianity--however, he is admittedly changed (for the better) by the experience.
I really enjoyed this book. In part because I have a morbid curiosity about extremely conservative Christians, but also because I do believe and agree with Roose's conclusions: that just as fundamentalists paint gay people, feminists, Democrats, etc with a broad brush, so do secular folks paint religious folks with a broad brush. In reality, there are many shades and types of Liberty students. Roose made friends with evangelical feminists, he attended a meeting for gay students at Liberty (trying to go straight) and male students struggling with lust (he dubs this group Masturbators Anonymous). He also prays on a regular basis with a stereotypical, blindingly optimistic future youth pastor and deals with his incredibly hostile and homophobic roommate. Roose takes a class called History of Life (a required class for all LU students) that teaches strict Young Earth Creationism--a class he can never quite get his head around. But he also takes a class on theology, which he grows to love. And for every goody-goody rule following student he meets, he is bound to interact with a "rebel" student--someone who isn't a virgin, or who curses, or watched R-rated movies. Basically, there is no typical LU student just as there is no typical Brown student.
The most fascinating aspect of Roose's experience is how is changes him. He transforms from a non-church going atheist/agnostic to someone who believes "70-75% of the time" in a higher power. He goes from never praying to automatically praying as part of his daily routine. He comes to enjoy going to church! Roose is not a hardcore believer by the end of the book, per se (he still finds Liberty's party line on homosexuality, evolution, etc and its insistence on two black and white categories of people: saved and unsaved, to be abhorrent), but he is much more open minded about the possibility that there is a God out there and that belief in Him can change a person's life in a very positive way.
I liked this book because I understand Roose's thought process. Like the bumper sticker that says "Jesus, save me from your followers", I am a self-identified Christian who is easily annoyed by other (fundamentalist, evangelical) Christians. I see and understand the shades of gray that Roose found in his time at Liberty and I can see how and why he came to see the good that comes out of religion, as well as the bad. I'm glad that Roose wrote this book and I'm glad he wrote it in a way that showed Liberty's good side as well as its darker corners. Roose claims at the end of the book that he did not "bridge the God divide", and indeed, that bridge may never be built. But I think he went further than many non-evangelicals would dare to go in his attempts to understand and humanize Liberty students.
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LibraryThing member kmoellering
You know, I read this expecting to find a writer critical of Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, but was surprised to find a writer very thoughtful both about his craft and fellow students. I am not a fan of Jerry Falwell, and expected to dislike the students and faculty at Liberty University very
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much, but, instead, found a different view of this school through the author's eyes. Although he came from a liberal background and left Brown University for a semester at Liberty, the author is even handed and thoughtful about his new classmates. Show Less
LibraryThing member goodinthestacks
It was interesting reading this book after reading "In the Land of Believers," another book that takes a look at Jerry Falwell. Unlike the other book in which the author infiltrates Lynchburg by joining the Thomas Road church, Kevin Roose enrolls in Liberty University, an evangelical Christian
I recommend reading both books because they were both written about the same time period in Thomas Road and LU's history, which means that both authors were secretly attending church and other events, even the events following Falwell's death.
I couldn't help but wonder what each author would have thought if they knew there was another interloper so nearby.
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college. I recommend reading both books because they were both written about the same time period in Thomas Road and LU's history, which means that both authors were secretly attending church and other events, even the events following Falwell's death.
I couldn't help but wonder what each author would have thought if they knew there was another interloper so nearby.
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LibraryThing member schatzi
Kevin Roose, A.J. Jacobs' "slave" in The Year of Living Biblically, attended Thomas Road Church one Sunday with Jacobs. Struck with an idea, Roose decides to leave Brown University for a semester to attend Liberty University instead, pretending to be an evangelical Christian to see what the place
Although mostly lacking Jacobs' characteristic humor, Roose has an engaging writing style, especially for someone who is just starting his journalistic career. This book could have easily devolved into a "look what crazy and/or dangerous things these people believe" book; instead, Roose is exceptionally fair. He makes friends at Liberty and does a good job of portraying them as real people, with faults and strengths.
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is really like and what people genuinely believe.Although mostly lacking Jacobs' characteristic humor, Roose has an engaging writing style, especially for someone who is just starting his journalistic career. This book could have easily devolved into a "look what crazy and/or dangerous things these people believe" book; instead, Roose is exceptionally fair. He makes friends at Liberty and does a good job of portraying them as real people, with faults and strengths.
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LibraryThing member jillmwo
While those who need their eyes most opened as to what drives evangelicals will be the ones least likely to actually read this book, I think they'd do well to at least try to read this book through. It's as balanced a view as they are apt to find of Liberty University, warts and all. I recommend
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it..
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LibraryThing member Katya0133
In the first chapter of this book, Kevin Roose calls Liberty University "the evangelical equivalent of Notre Dame or Brigham Young." Having attended BYU for undergrad and a "secular" university for grad school, I felt as if I came to this book with an understanding of each side. Half the time I
Overall, I enjoyed this book for the same reasons I enjoyed "The Year of Living Biblically." Roose doesn't pull punches when pointing out the things he feels are problematic in Evangelical Christian culture and at Liberty, in particular, but he comes to the project with a genuine desire to understand people who are very different from him, and he comes away changed for the better.
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spent nodding in agreement (when casual sex isn't an option, it can actually make dating better) half the time I spent shaking my head in disbelief (unlike Liberty University, the BYU biology department has no problem teaching that evolution is scientifically valid).Overall, I enjoyed this book for the same reasons I enjoyed "The Year of Living Biblically." Roose doesn't pull punches when pointing out the things he feels are problematic in Evangelical Christian culture and at Liberty, in particular, but he comes to the project with a genuine desire to understand people who are very different from him, and he comes away changed for the better.
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LibraryThing member jbeckhamlat
Interesting insights into Dorm Life, Classroom instruction, mindsets, and more of LU. No library until it was years old . . . why, a fundamental fear of libraries? A degree of SEXUAL OPPRESSION that would have pleased Big Brother in 1984. Love to read the story of a sniper journo living the BROWN
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life for a semester. Enliightening, readable, fun. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2009-03-26
ISBN
044617842X / 9780446178426